Zumiez key sales figure slips 1 pct, shares rise

Zumiez Inc., which sells surf- and skate-inspired clothing and equipment, said Thursday that revenue at stores open at least a year slipped 1 percent last month. Analysts on Wall Street expected a bigger drop, and the company's stock price rose in midday trading.

Analysts, on average, predicted that revenue at stores open a year would fall 3.6 percent in December, according to Thomson Reuters.

Revenue from stores open at least a year is a key indicator of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.

The company, which operates 502 stores and the Zumiez.com and Blue-Tomato.com online stores, said that total sales for the five weeks ending Dec. 29 jumped 15 percent to $120.3 million.